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By Regan Tate

Provincial government encouraging more women to seek careers in transportation industry

Mar 8, 2022 | 1:50 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – To help mark International Women’s Day, the provincial government is celebrating a $3-million investment to help support women who are seeking job opportunities in the transportation sector.

The funding will provide women with new skills to achieve success in the industry through a mix of supporting individual Class 1 driver’s licence training, program development and the promotion of new career choices in transportation.

The money is part of a $10-million investment outlined in Budget 2022 to help reduce labour shortages in the commercial trucking industry.

“Budget 2022 provides women with a great opportunity to land a fulfilling, good-paying job in the commercial trucking industry. As Alberta’s government moves forward, this investment will help put more women in the driver’s seat,” stated Whitney Issik, Associate Minister of Status of Women.

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• Funding for Commercial Driver Grants in Budget 2022 includes:
  • $6 million for the Driving Back to Work Program
  • $3 million to support women returning to the workforce and underemployed Albertans
  • $1 million towards developing online and virtual reality simulator training
• The Driving Back to Work Program covers 90 per cent of Class 1 Mandatory Entry Level Training that is required to become a Class 1 commercial truck driver.
• Alberta has already invested $8 million in the Driving Back to Work program to support 800 unemployed Albertans completing Mandatory Entry Level Training (MELT) to obtain a Class 1 licence.
• It is estimated that by 2023 there will be a shortage of approximately 3,600 commercial drivers in Alberta.
• According to Labour and Immigration’s September 2021 data, 41,100 Albertans identify “truck driver” as their occupation. Of these, 38,500 are employed and 1,600 are unemployed.
• According to Trucking HR Canada, approximately 97,000 women work in Canada’s trucking and logistics industry.
  • 21 per cent work in front-line jobs, such as shipping and receiving
  • 21 per cent work in administration, accounting and HR
  • 10 per cent are commercial truck drivers
  • fewer than five per cent of the sector’s female employees are in a management or supervisor position